Display device



Aug. 27, 1963 H. K. sToEssEl.

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed NOV. 16, 1960 3 n my m N7 M. mm WK W M .M

u 1h A BY lil/M 3,101,564 DlSPLAY DEWCE Henry Kurt Stoessel, 21 W. 45th St., New York 36, N.Y.

' rires Nov. is, i950, ser. No. 69,590

2 Claims. (Cl. i0--1tl6.22)

This invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to an advertising device which presents an eye-catching display.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to an illuminated display device having novel display eiects based upon the utilization of moving bubble streams guided within a liquid iilled transparent walled tank, said streams being lighted and guided within said tank in a novel manner to provide unusual vvisual and display emphasizing effects.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a novel display device wherein the movement and lighting eects imparted to bubble or to aerated streams in such device renders the device particularly attractive.

A further object of this invention is to provide :a device of the type aforesaid wherein the eye is drawn to display or advertising indicia carried by said device by a novel arrangement whereby air bubbles generated in said device are guided in their path of movement under illumination in patterns to focus attention on such display indicia.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a display device having a liquid chamber through which streams of air are directed, of novel means for generating such streams of bubbles characterized by presenting a substantially equal curtain of bubble streams adjacent the bottom of the chamber.

Still fur-ther objects of the invention will become apparent in conjunction with the ensuing description of the drawings, in which- FIGURE l is a perspective View of the device in accordance with my invention las applied to 'a vending machine or the like;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the device,

illustrating diagrarnmatically the bubble generating and lighting apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a magnified section, taken on line 3'-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of still another embodiment of my invention.

In accordance with my invention, there is provided a tank or enclosure which is optionally, but preferably, comprised of closely adjacent front and rear Walls 11 and 12, respectively, the front wall 11 being offa transparent material, s-uc'n as glass, plastic, or the like. The tank includes, in addition, a top wall 13, la transparent bottom wall 14, and side walls `15` and 16.

Beneath the bottom wall 14 of the tank there is disposed a lighting element 17 or source of illumination, which extends its 'beam of illumination lengthwise of and beneath the bottom Wall 14. The lighting element 17 may be of any type providing sufficient illumination, it being desirable, however, to transfer a minimum of heat from the element to the tank 10. 'Ilhe element 17 when thus positioned will direct light within the tank Ialong a path between the bottom 'and top of the tank. While the lighting element 17 is shown in the drawings yas positioned beneath the lower Wal-l 14, it will be readily understood that said element may be positioned `above ,the top wall 13 of the tank, and said wall made transparent, it being important merely that the primary illumination within the tank be provided by light rays which travel substantially parallel with the Walls 11 and 12 to illuminate the full length or greatest dimension.

Desirable lighting elfects may likewise be achieved by side lighting, it being merely necessary that the light beams l vPatentes Aug. 27, rees projected by the primary light source be within the plane of movement of the streams of bubbles Ias they progress from the bottom to the top of the tank, and not normal to such plane as would be the oase if front or back lightying were employed.

The tank 1t) is iilled with a liquid, water Ibeing suitable for such purpose. There is positioned within the tank and adjacent the bottom wall 14 a conduit 20, provided with apertures 21 evenly spa-ced apart :along the length of said conduit. One end 22 of said conduit is sealed, and the other end 23 extends through the wall 16 of the tank. The end Z3 of the conduit 20 is connected to ya source 24 of gas under pressure, which source may be a tank of compressed Igas but is optionally, and preferably, `an'air pump. A connecting tube 25 links the conduit 120. with the air source 24, said tube having -a portion 26 which is above the level of the fluid in the tank so Ias to prevent said iluid siphoning back whenl the air pressure provided 'by the source 24 is removed from the connecting tube 25. As an alternative construction, `a suitable self-closing ,valve may be. employed to prevent back passage of fluid through the tube 2,5.

As will be seen in the drawings, the cond-uit Ztl is inclined to the horizontal with the sealed end 22 being slightly elevated with respect to the 'end 23. rl`his slightly inclined arrangement of conduit Ztl-has been determined by me to provide a bubble pattern within the tank which is substantially even throughout the entire expanse of the tank adjacent the lower portion thereof whereas, if the conduit Ztl were horizontally disposed, bubbles would be discharged rat a greater rate from the apertures 21 near end 23 :than from the apertures .near end Z2. However, it will be understood that certain of the benefits of my invention may be :achieved without an initial-ly even dispersion of bubbles adjacent the bottom of the tank.

The tank is provided at the top portion with relief aperture or conduit 27 which may include a one-way valve (not shown) to permit the airpassing through the duid in the form ofbubbles to escape at the top of the tank. 1f desired, .condensing means draining back into the tank 10 may be incorporated within the conduit 27 so as 'tto minimize the loss of fluid in the form of vapors discharged through the conduit Z7.

Within the tank 10 there are pro-vided one or more baiiies or bubble guide members 30, said tguide members comprising transparent ystrips of plastic, glass, or the like, lravingtheir side marginal edges labutting the front and re-ar walls 11 and 12 ofthe tank. The bales 30 are positioned or curved to provide gradually inclined lower surfaces, and each of said baffles is provided preferably with at least one Aupturned or upwardly inclined end or discharge portion, such as shown at 31. The baffles 30 faire optionally, but preferably, staggered with the tank Y 10, being arranged at different levels and laterally oiset positions within said tank, the arrangement of the bales being desirably such as to lengthen the path of bubbles emanating from the conduit Z0 at the bottom of the tank. rThe path of the bubbles is lengthened by .orientinrg the baffles so that the bubbles rising in the tank are guided by impinging againstthe lower surfaces 32 of the baffles 30, whereupon fthe bubbles will tend to follow such lower surfaces, and be discharged at the upturned end portions 31 of Isuch battles, thus im-parting lateral as well as up ward components of movement to said bubbles. The baies are preferably disposed in the tank in a manner whereby the lower bubble gathering surfaces 3-2 of some of the baffles are disposed vertically above the discharge ends 311 of other batlles rin said tank, and will thereby catch on such bubble gathering surfaces a quantity of the bubbles discharged from the lower baille.

As seen from the drawings, the arrangement of the bottom of said bailles.

bailles aforesaid will provide, at points directly above the ballles 30, areas 33 having little or no bubble activity, and beneath the baflles and adjacent the discharge points 3l, areas of increased or accumulated bubble activity. l have determined that particularly impressive display of advertising indicia, or the like, may be had Where such indicia are disposed so as to coincide with the areas 33 of decreased bubble activity. Such indicia 34 irnray be prositioned within the tank, or maybe disposed outside the tank, the desirable effects aforesaid being achieved in either case, where the indicia are disposed adjacent, or within, or supeni-mposed over the aforesaid areas of decreased bubble activity. The terni coincide as used herein to peter to fthe position of the indicia Iwith respect to the areas of decreased activity should be understood to .refer to an orientation wherein the indicia appears to register with such area, and should be understood Ito encompass positioning of the indicia within or Without the tank. Moreover, bhe areas of increased bubble activity formed adjacent the dischange points :al heighten the desirable effects aforesaid by providing a framing or halolifke yeffect to fthe sides of the areas of decreased bubble activi-ty.

The :effectiveness of the display is likewise heightened by bhe provision of lighting which travels in a path parallel to the plane of bubble ilow. Thus, by bottom. or top lighting bubbles, each bubble as it proceeds from the bottom to the rtop :of the tank appeans as a spot `of light, an effect quite contrary to that obtained by back lighting of the bubbles.

Similarly, the desirable lighting effect aforesaid may be 'achieved in a measure by `side lighting, wherein the lighting within the tank is effected Iby rays which run parallel with, or in -the plane of .travel of, the bubbles from the bottom to the top of the tank.

'Ilhe striking lighting effect of the moving screen, stream or line :of bubbles produced is heightened by the contrast provided by the absence of substantial back lighting, and while a reflective background may be employed, the use of substantial back lighting is to be avoided ysince it will reduce the striking effect of the display.

The use 4of transparent baffles 30 in the tank provides -no obstacle to the light effects provided .by the bubbles since light lis permitted to pass freely through the baffles, thus illuminating bubbles which have passed above the baille. For the same reason, the display indicia 34, if positioned 'within the tank, are desirably opaque, but of such thickness as not to cast a shadow or interrupt the passage of light withinthe tank.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown an embodiment of my invention Whe-rein the wall portions dit of the tank have been fonned to provide the equivalent of a bubble guide surface, thereby adding to the indicia framing effect, much fin fthe same manner as `the bailles` 30, at lthe same time presenting a striking overall appearance. VIn the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the bailles 30 have been provided with apertures 41 Kextending through from the top to the rIll-1e apertures 4l are Iof funnel shape, being wider at the bottom -than at the top, and serve to gather some yof the bubbles following the lower surfaces 32 of the bailles 39, and penniit limited numbers of such bubbles to pass through 'the areas above the bailles whichwould otherwise be substantially free of bubble v activity. The limited flow of bubbles through such areas has been found to be particularly effective when used in combination with transparent 'tinted display, indicia 42.

The tank or enclosure 1t) is preferably provided with an escutcheon or frame (F which hides from view the bubble dispensing conduit 20 and light source 17 so as not to detract from the effect of the advertising display.

The advertising device herein described and claimed has been found particularly effective in attracting attention to vending devices, such as beverage or candy dispensers, and the like, when attached thereto, as shown in FIGURE l, it being understood that the device is not limited to such use.

By varying the positioning of the baffles, the volume of air injected through conduit 20, and by adding coloring to the fluid within the tank lll, a variety of different effects may be achieved, all within the scope of my invention. The continuous movement of bubbles throughout the tank, each of which bubbles appears as a moving spot of light, preferably against a contrasting background, has been found highly effective as an attention-getter. Moreover, the viewers attention which is initially attracted to the device by the general movement of the lighted bubbles, is thereafter .specifically focused upon the display indicia by reason of the framing paths and patterns followed by the bubble streams.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A display device comprising a tank having a rear wall, side walls, and a transparent front wall, a lluid contained in said tank, a source of illumination positioned to direct light within the tank in the path between the bottom and top of said tank, a conduit adjacent lthe bottom of said tank, said conduit being inclined whereby one end thereof is higher than the other end, a plurality of widthwisely spaced apertures of uniform size formed in said conduit, a source of gas under pressure connected with said other end of said conduit to define a `substantially even bubble pattern adjacent the bottom of said tank, ballles in said tank in the form of somewhat inclined transparent strips of substantial length and having edges abutting the front and rear walls of said tank, each said baille being disposed to collect bubbles impinged against the lower surface thereof and to discharge said collected bubbles at the end portions thereof in concentrated streams, at least one said baille being positioned in said tank vertically above an end portion of another said baille so that ysaid upper baille will collect said concentrated stream discharged from said end portion, and display indicia on said tank being positioned substantially immediately above at least some of said bailles whereby said indicia is framed by said bales and streams- 2. A device in accordance with claim l wherein at least one of said strips is slightly curved and includes an upturned end portion.

tlill 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A TANK HAVING A REAR WALL, SIDE WALLS, AND A TRANSPARENT FRONT WALL, A FLUID CONTAINED IN SAID TANK, A SOURCE OF ILLUMINATION POSITIONED TO DIRECT LIGHT WITHIN THE TANK IN THE PATH BETWEEN THE BOTTOM AND TOP OF SAID TANK, A CONDUIT ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK, SAID CONDUIT BEING INCLINED WHEREBY ONE END THEREOF IS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER END, A PLURALITY OF WIDTHWISELY SPACED APERTURES OF UNIFORM SIZE FORMED IN SAID CONDUIT, A SOURCE OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE CONNECTED WITH SAID OTHER END OF SAID CONDUIT TO DEFINE A SUBSTANTIALLY EVEN BUBBLE PATTERN ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK, BAFFLES IN SAID TANK IN THE FORM OF SOMEWHAT INCLINED TRANSPARENT STRIPS OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH AND HAVING EDGES ABUTTING THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS OF SAID TANK, EACH SAID BAFFLE BEING DISPOSED TO COLLECT BUBBLES IMPINGED AGAINST THE LOWER SURFACE THEREOF AND TO DISCHARGE SAID COLLECTED BUBBLES AT THE END PORTIONS THEREOF IN CONCENTRATED STREAMS, AT LEAST ONE SAID BAFFLE BEING POSITIONED IN SAID TANK VERTICALLY ABOVE AN END PORTION OF ANOTHER SAID BAFFLE SO THAT SAID UPPER BAFFLE WILL COLLECT SAID CONCENTRATED STREAM DISCHARGED FROM SAID END PORTION, AND DISPLAY INDICIA ON SAID TANK BEING POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY ABOVE AT LEAST SOME OF SAID BAFFLES WHEREBY SAID INDICIA IS FRAMED BY SAID BAFFLES AND STREAMS. 